Sign display device



June 28,1960

W. P. LEE ETAL SIGN DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 17, 1959 United States A.Pa

2,942,367 SIGN DISPLAY DEVICE Willard Pearce Lee, 1817 Everette St., andScott Ding- 2312 Red Bud Lane, both of Winston-Salem,

Filed Mar. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 799,870

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-129) 6 This invention relates to sign display devicesand more particularly to display apparatus for mounting advertisingpanels on the tops of automobiles.

in which it is simple and easy to change the advertising panel carriedby the display device.

It is yet another object to provide a device such as the above whichwill be light, durable and reasonably inexpensive to manufacture.

It is still a further object .to provide a sign display device forvehicle tops wherein the device comprises a front crosspiece having anilluminated forwardly extending curved shield with an illuminated lensportion posi- 'tioned directly above and a stem assembly extendingrearwardly from the crosspiece, said stern assembly being T-shaped invertical cross-section and having a 1ongitudinal window for receiving anadvertising panel carried in a centrally disposed vertical longitudinalslot in the upright portion of the T-shaped stem, and illuminating meanspositioned on the horizontal portion of the stem to illuminate theadvertising panel.

The above and other objects will become apparent from'the followingdetailed description and drawing showing by way of example a preferredembodiment of this invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the sign display devicemounted on a vehicle top;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sign display device;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the crosspiece portion of the sign displaydevice;

Fig. 4 is :a rear view of'the crosspiece; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Referring particularly to Figs. l and 2, the sign display device .10comprises'a crosspiece assembly 12 and a rearwardly extending Tshapedstem assembly .14 and is mounted on an automobile top 16.

As best illustrated in Figs. .2, 3, and 4, the crosspiece assembly 12comprises a semi-circular base 18 with its curved portion extendingforwardly and a semi-circular back 20 extending upwardly from thestraight side of the base and at a right angle thereto thus formingbetween them what amounts to approximately one-quarter of a sphere. Thisarea is covered by a curved translucent shield 22 illuminated by one ormore electric light bulbs 24. A truncated hemispherical lens 26illuminated by an electric light bulb 28 is positioned on and directlyabove the shield 22. A U-shaped support 30 is centrally and verticallydisposed on the rear face of the back 20 with its open portion facingupwardly. The base of 2,942,367 Patented June. 28, 1961i the support isgenerally flush with the base 18. The back 20 is also provided with asliding panel 32 to allow access to the interior of the area covered bythe shield 22.

The stem assembly 14 is generally T-shaped in vertical cross-sectionand, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, comprises a pair of parallelspaced upright members 34 connected at the bottom by a rearwardlyextending longitudinal base 36 and connected at the top by a rearwardljextending longitudinal top 38. A vertically extending generallyrectangular tailpiece 40 connects the rearward ends of the base 36 andthe top 38 thus forming'a rectangular window adapted to receive anadvertising panel 42. j

The parallel vertical members 34 form a slot 44 through which theadvertising panel 42 is introduced for positioning within the window.The base. 36 has a lon-. gitudina-l groove 46- as. does the top 38wherein the groove is numbered 48. These grooves serve to form a bettermeans forholdingthe advertising panel 42 in place.

The underside of the top 38 carries a plurality of light bulbs '50adjacent each longitudinal side and connected by suitable wiring 52- -tocontacts 54 on upright members-34,

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the T-shaped stem assembly. 14 isconnected to the crosspiece assembly 12 by sliding the parallel uprightmembers 34 down .between the parallel sides of the support 30 so thatthe offset portion 56 of the base 36 will engage and rest on the bottomof the U-shaped support 30. The holes 58 in the suport 30 are alignedwith the holes 60 in the members 34 and a pin 69 passed therethrough tohold the two assemblies in position.

The crosspiece assembly 12 is mounted on the vehicle top 16 by means ofthree anchor bolt assemblies 62 which include seal members '64 fittingdown tight on the roof. Obviously these anchor bolt assemblies haveenough adjustability to allow for mounting on vehicles having tops withdifferent contours.

The tail member 40 on the rear portion of the stem assembly ispositioned on the automobile .top 16 by means of an anchor pin 66 whichfits in a vertical hole in the tail member 40.

The rear face of the crosspiece upright member 20 has a pair ofelectrical contacts 68 which engage contacts 54 on the stem assembly tofurnish current .to the lights 50. The lines supplying electrical powerto the contacts 68 also supply current to the lights in the crosspieceassembly.

In order to replace panel 42 in the device, it is merely necessary toremove the retaining pin 69 positioned in holes 58, 60 in the crosspieceand stem, and then lift up on the stem assembly to remove it from theassemblage. After this the advertising panel 42 may be removed throughslot 44 and a new one introduced.

The sign display device of this invention may be made from any suitablematerial; however, it has been found that plastic is particularly welladapted for t-hisuse.

What we claim as novel and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. A sign display device for mounting on vehicle tops comprising a frontcrosspiece, adjustable anchoring means adapted .to secure the crosspieceto a vehicle top, connecting means on the rear face of the crosspiece, astem assembly comprising a rectangular frame having a longitudinal slotformed therein with the open end of the slot on the forward end of theframe, said slot being adapted to receive an advertising panel,illuminating means on the stem assembly to illuminate both sides of thepanel, the forward end of .the stem frame engaging the connecting meanson the crosspiece to secure the crosspiecc and stem assembly together,and supporting means adapted to be secured to the vehicle top and engagethe rear portion of the frame to retain the stem assembly in position.

2. A sign display device for mounting on vehicle tops comprising a frontcrosspiece having a translucent forwardly extending shield, means forilluminating the crosspiece, adjustable anchoring means adapted tosecure the crosspiece to a vehicle top, connecting means on the rearface of the crosspiece, a stem assembly generally T-shaped in verticalcross-section, said stem assembly comprising a rectangular frame, thetop portion of the frame being wider than the ends and bottom thusconstituting the horizontal portion of the T, saidv frame having avertical longitudinal slot formed therein with the open. end. of theslot on the forward endv of the frame, said. slot being adapted toreceive an. advertising panel, illuminating means on the frame toilluminate both sides of the panel, the forward end of the stem flameengaging. .the connecting means on the crosspiece to secure thecrosspiece. and stem assembly together, and supporting means adapted tobe secured tov the. vehicle top and engage the rear portion of the frameto retain the stem assembly in position.

3. The device as described in claim 2 and. wherein theconnecting meanson the rear face of the crosspiece comprises a U-shaped bracketpositioned with its open end upward so that the forward. end of the stemframe carried thereby may be dropped into place and lifted for removal.

4. A sign. display device for mounting on vehicle tops comprising afront crosspiece having abase with a back extending upwardly therefromand a curved shield covering the area included between the base and backto form a display surface, means for illuminating the display area,adjustable anchoring means adapted to secure the crosspiece to a vehicletop, a U-shaped connecting member on the back of the crosspiece, saidconnecting member being positioned with its open end uppermost, a stemassembly generally T-shaped in vertical cross-section, said sternassembly comprising a rectangular frame, the top portion of the framebeing wider than the ends and bottom thus constituting the horizontalportion of the T, said frame having a vertical longitudinal slot formedtherein with the open end of the slot on the forward end of the frame,said'sIot being adapted to receive an advertising panel, illuminatingmeans. on the top portion of the frame to illuminateboth sides of theadvertising panel, the forward end of the stem frame slidably fittingwithin the U-shaped connecting means of the crosspiece back. to securethe stem assembly to the crosspiece, and supporting means. adapted to besecured to the vehicle top and engage the rear portion of the stem frameto retain the stem assembly in position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS"1,394,853 Margileth Oct. 25, 1921 2,252,161 Borba Aug. 12, 19412,270,377 McLauchlin Jan. 20, 1942 2,559,163 Macdonald- July 3, 1951

